 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Jack Stewart
Date: 2011-07-05 18:14
I have to play this etude for an audition soon. I was hoping for some tips in general about it, and for some criticism of my playing. The main thing I am worried about is style. Unfortunately I have not been able to study with my teacher recently (out of town), so I am not sure if I have it right. Are my staccato notes short enough? I would like them shorter but I worry about stamina and not sounding "tutty". There are not very many dynamic/shaping markings so I've just been following the line (notes up going up - crescendo and vice versa) and crescendoing on each repeated pattern. Here's me:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Z4ava0xh7o&feature=channel_video_title
Thanks,
Jack Stewart
New recording:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGwjrDT9H9M&feature=channel_video_title
Post Edited (2011-07-07 21:14)
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Author: Ed
Date: 2011-07-05 18:58
My preference would be for shorter staccato.
Both Sean Osborne and Christopher Hill have excellent recordings of the Rose that can serve as a great resource.
In addition, Henry Larsen did a guide to study of these. It would be an excellent resource and provide you with a wealth of information and things to work on.
http://www.vcisinc.com/clarinetmusicstudies.htm#C046
Post Edited (2011-07-05 19:17)
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2011-07-05 19:08
I just gave it 20 seconds, as I have to teach in a minute:
Balance your clarion notes to your lower notes (throat, etc). When you cross the break, your upper notes are "pouncing out".
Then there's the direction of the phrase......
http://www.SkypeClarinetLessons.com
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Author: mrn
Date: 2011-07-06 18:55
Your staccatos should be much shorter, but they should also be very light--short, but not accented.
You should put a bit of a "pressure accent" at the beginning of each bar. This is a dance, so it should lilt like one.
Make sure to keep your rhythm really steady--you have to hit the beginning of each bar right on time, as well as the 2nd and third beats of each bar.
Remember that when you play an etude like this, you are not just the melodic line: you are also the accompaniment--the "oom pah pah," if you will. In particular, when you get to the place where the 16th notes are grouped in twos, the first note of each group of two should be the stronger one, because you are simulating two musical lines (one of 16ths on top, the other of 8ths on the bottom)
It might help to listen to some other pieces with similar musical ideas to get a feel for what the music is trying to express. In particular, this one comes to mind:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1czRiGYSYg&feature=related
And for that matter, so does this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXBmygI-N3M
Notice how you can feel a strong beat at the beginning of each measure and you not only hear 16th notes, but you also feel a strong 8th note rhythm/bassline as well. In these etudes, you have to create that same feel out of a single line--the way you do it is with properly placed accents and steady rhythm.
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Author: Jack Stewart
Date: 2011-07-06 19:52
Should the staccato notes be tongue-stopped? I struggle with staying light with the articulation while tongue-stopping. Hearing those pieces does give me a much better idea about the correct musical idea. I began to put in the "pressure accents" yesterday after listening to the recording - it seems that I was on the right track and I think that it will help with time and style.
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Author: pewd
Date: 2011-07-06 20:34
Texas Tech Band Camp audition?
- Paul Dods
Dallas, Texas
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Author: pewd
Date: 2011-07-06 21:36
yup, one. she will not beat you
- Paul Dods
Dallas, Texas
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Author: pewd
Date: 2011-07-06 23:36
Yes. Wish I could clone that young man.
- Paul Dods
Dallas, Texas
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Author: pewd
Date: 2011-07-07 22:22
He won a full fine arts scholarship to TCU for next fall.
You play very well...
What does 'poco piu mosso' mean?
Sounded more like molto piu mosso in that recording.
Bearing in mind I have really crappy speakers on this pc:
M5, M6 - the 'A's - these sound like you're tonguing them a bit different than the other articulated notes. Hard to tell on my speakers. I would attack all of the staccato notes the same.
M7 - cresc., M8 - decresc. - did I hear those? Overdo dynamics throughout.
What does 'sf' mean (M16) ? (1st time, 2nd time I heard it).
Bb/Ab combination M13 & M14 - a tiny bit wobbly - careful.
Its unlikely they'll want you to take the repeat - ask before playing.
This was a region piece in 2006. And I think also for Bass/Alto/Contra a year or 2 ago.
- Paul Dods
Dallas, Texas
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Author: gwie
Date: 2011-07-08 04:33
Just one rhythm caution: don't rush through the trills!
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Author: mrn
Date: 2011-07-12 14:54
Jack wrote:
> Aside from the end...is this better?
Stylistically, that's much better. You could still do more emphasis at the beginnings of measures (so *more* of what I told you to do earlier), but you've got the right idea, I think.
I concur with Paul about the poco piu mosso--it doesn't need to be that fast, just slightly more "frettevole" (hurried) than the original tempo....as if you were going to do the whole thing the same tempo, except somebody's now motioning you to get off the stage soon, so you pick it up a bit.
The biggest thing to work on now, probably, is getting everything clean and even. That means lots of slow practice, preferably with a metronome.
Also, one of the things you can do that will help both with playing cleanly and with capturing the style is to sort of "hold on" to the first note of each measure--don't be in a hurry to get to the second note. Instead, think of "pushing off" from the first note and let the other notes kind of fall into place, almost as if pulled by gravity (if that makes any sense--it's kind of hard to describe in writing). If you're doing what I describe, you will *feel* as if the first note (of each group of 6, let's say) lasts longer than the other notes, when in fact it is right in time (or at least pretty close). In fact, in some bars you may actually want to prolong the first note just a smidge for emphasis, and make up the difference by shortening the other 5 notes so that you hit the downbeat of the next measure right on time.
Oftentimes our tendency is to rush the initial notes of a group like this, and we also tend to not give the initial note it's rightful place of emphasis in a measure. You can counteract these tendencies by putting energy into the first note of the measure and holding onto it for its full value, then finally releasing the energy and changing to the next note at the last possible instant in time. I hope that makes sense to you--it does to me, but again it's often hard to express these kinds of ideas in writing.
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Author: pewd
Date: 2011-07-12 15:49
His audition was several days ago - so let us know how it went when you return from the wilds of Lubbock.
And this years all state etudesd will be posted July 22, so he'll have 3 new etudes to work on ...
- Paul Dods
Dallas, Texas
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Author: Jack Stewart
Date: 2011-07-17 23:09
Just wanted to thank everyone for their help! I placed first overall in the audition, which also allowed me to play in the orchestra. The camp was wonderful; I got to work with some fantastic clarinetists and teachers and was fortunate enough to play some great literature (Grainger's Lincholnshire Posy and excerpts from West Side Story with the orchestra).
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Author: mrn
Date: 2011-07-22 18:59
Jack Stewart wrote:
> Just wanted to thank everyone for their help! I placed first
> overall in the audition, which also allowed me to play in the
> orchestra.
Congratulations! Thanks for sharing! :-)
(And good luck with All-State, too!)
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